


Aftershocks

by driftingskies237



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-09 23:57:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13492518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/driftingskies237/pseuds/driftingskies237
Summary: Through the blurry thoughts in Peter’s head, he thinks of Aunt May. He doesn’t want to die without saying goodbye. Next, he thinks of his friends, Ned and more recently MJ. He might never joke around with them again. Then, he thinks of Tony Stark. Peter can only imagine how disappointed Mr. Stark will be in him. Finally, he thinks of his Uncle Ben and how he’ll see him again soon.





	1. destined to destroy

**Author's Note:**

> Well I didn't originally plan for this to be multiple chapters but I decided I will at least do a few more. As I said before, I'm trying to get back into writing but it's so hard. I hope you guys enjoy the story, and remember it's unbetaed so I'm sure there will be mistakes. Aunt May already knows Peter is Spider-Man in this story, btw

Rain patters down lightly onto Peter’s hood as he rides his skateboard to the subway station. He stops at the crosswalk, anxiously waiting for the light to turn. If he is late one more time, his principal said he would receive detention, which Peter does not have time for. A crowd gathers behind him, waiting to cross just like him. Finally, the WALK button lights up.

Peter hops back on his skateboard once again, causing him to be the first one out onto the street. If things were going his way that day, he would’ve narrowly gotten onto the next subway line to Midtown; instead, he's met with a dull tingling that starts at the base of his skull before a sharp pain pierces his entire head only a split second later.

Something slams forcefully against Peter’s right side. Pain erupts throughout his whole body and causes his mind to blank out. He’s on the edge of unconsciousness, and if he didn’t have his spider powers he’d probably already be out. His mind can’t process what just happened. It’s as if everything around him runs on hyper speed while Peter sinks in a vat of quicksand. His senses blank out for a second, like white noise on a television, and when they return the only thing that registers is agony.

If Peter knew what was happening he would’ve known to stay down until he drifted into unconsciousness, but his muddled brain wants to understand what happened. At first, he thinks he’s back under the building that Vulture dropped on him. He worries that people are in danger, and he has to help. When his eyes squint open, though, he's quick to realize that it’s much too bright and noisy, the complete antithesis to that incident. Now, he's not sure which is worse. Maybe he'd rather be trapped underneath that building again if only to have confidence as Spider-Man.

The first thing he can make sense of is a large group of people surrounding him. Someone reaches out to touch him, and he flinches. All of the noise seems to halt as pain wracks up his body, and he lets out a whine. He just wants it to stop. Something gritty rubs into his cheek, and something slimy covers his clothing. His stomach and chest burn, and he can barely heave breaths in. The world is too chaotic, and he forcefully shuts his eyes once more, wishing he would just fade into the black.

Through the blurry thoughts in Peter’s head, he thinks of Aunt May. He doesn’t want to die without saying goodbye and apologizing for everything he's put her through. Next, he thinks of his friends, Ned and more recently MJ. He might never see his Guy in the Chair again, or have movie marathons, or hear MJ tease him again. Then, he thinks of Tony Stark. Peter can only imagine how disappointed Mr. Stark will be in him for failing, not only as Spider-Man but also as Peter Parker. Finally, he thinks of his Uncle Ben and how he’ll see him again soon.

Before Peter finally passes out, he hears a familiar voice calling his name. Although he can’t make sense of who it is, the comfort of familiarity lets him finally succumb to unconsciousness.

* * *

 Peter feels funny. It’s like a haze has clouded over his mind. His body feels achy and itchy, but he’s floating too much to worry. He goes to move his hand when he notices a warm weight on top. Slowly, Peter blinks his eyes open to a dimly lit room. Despite his state, he instantly recognizes as a hospital room. Classic white bed, white sheets, white walls, and oddly soothing beeping machines.

There’s something strange tickling his nostrils, and he reaches to poke at it before remembering that there’s something on top of it. Peter smiles as he sees Mr.Stark, fast asleep in a char beside his bed with his hand covering Peter’s own. He cares, Peter thinks with a giggle. Everything still feels fuzzy, though, and Peter reaches up again to scratch at his face. This time, the motion wakes Tony up.

He looks around confused for a second before his eyes settle on Peter, “Peter--you’re awake.” Along with baggy eyes and a pale complexion, he relief on his face is obvious.

Peter smiles at him, “ Hey, Mr' Stark.” The words run together even though he thinks they sound normal. His fingers soon find the annoying plastic touching his face and try to pull it off once more. Tony gently grasps his hands and pulls them back onto his blanketed lap, not letting go. Peter doesn't understand why his super strength won't work, but everything feels like jelly. His questions leave his mind as fast as they enter.

“Hey, buddy, don’t mess with that. They got you really doped up, didn’t they? Your fast metabolism burned through all the morphine, so they just loaded you up.”

He giggles, “That’s why I feel so funny. 'M high.”

“Yeah, kid, high as a kite. You’re not in any pain?”

“No, Mr. Stark... ‘m not. Where's May?"

He tries to sit up and look for her, but Tony pushes him down again. "She went to go get coffee, but you'll see her soon. Just stay put." Too tired to argue, Peter nods sluggishly and eases himself back down. His blinks slow down enough that he can feel them. Where was May?

Tony sighs as he rubs Peter’s hands with his thumb. “Go back to sleep, kiddo. You’ll feel clearer in the morning.”

Peter was about to retort that he’s not tired, but his eyes betray him. He struggles to keep them open, but Tony continues to rub his hand and it’s so comforting. He drifts off into a peaceful slumber.

The next time he wakes up, the pain is much more persistent. It seems to be crawling everywhere through his body. Waking up is much less pleasant this time around. He squints, blearily taking in the room in front of him. This time, Aunt May and Tony are both there, chatting quietly.

A pained groan unwillingly emits from Peter’s throat. It gets Aunt May and Tony on their feet in an instant. Aunt May sits by his bed and strokes a hand through his hair.

“Peter, sweetheart,” She smiles. “Are you okay?”

He mumbles, “Hurts.”

“I know, honey, but they didn’t want you to be too loopy. We’ll get you a bit more, okay?” Peter hears her say something to Tony but doesn’t understand exactly what through the pain.

“What happened?” Peter asks to distract himself.

“You walked out into traffic, kiddo,” Tony says, “And an idiot driver hit you.”

Peter thinks for a second. Then, he's back there. He remembers walking to school, almost late. Then he remembers crossing the street, and after that he thinks of the pain. He remembers the agony. The sound of rubber screeching. The smell of his blood. The fear running through him that, just like the Vulture, no one would be there to save him.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Tony whispers. Peter is brought of of his memories and realizes his body is shaking and his face is wet. Seeing Peter's distress, his Aunt hurries to the other side of the bed. She brushes his sweaty bangs away from his eyes as tries to distract himself from his mind.

“Oh Peter, don’t worry,” She says softly, “Tony’s right, you’re going to be fine.”

Despite the lump that has made its way into his throat, Peter still manages to ask what happened to him. The pain seems like it’s everywhere and nowhere all at once. The hospital lights make his eyes hurt, and he just wants to go home.

A tear falls out of Aunt May’s eye at his scared tone, and she apologizes before leaving the room. Tony sighs, sitting down next to Peter who worriedly watches May leave.

“Three broken ribs, a nasty head injury, a bruised tailbone, and a broken collarbone. Not to mention all of the bruises…” Tony trails off, “Jesus, kid, we were so worried.”

"Is she okay?" Peter asks. He knows that since Uncle Ben, they've always been more protective of each other. Now, he's causing her to go through a bad experience all over again.

Tony nods, "She's okay, Peter, she's just really overwhelmed because of the accident. We were scared." Peter notices the plural use in the last sentence. He was right before, Mr. Stark is disappointed in him.

Peter tears up at his expression and glances back at the door, wishing he could hug Aunt May. “I’m sorry, I didn't mean to,” He chokes back his sobs. To his surprise, Tony shushes him and pulls him into a loose hug.

“Hey, no, it’s not your fault. We both know that. Aunt May and I were just worried. But with your super healing you’ll be back at it again in no time. Promise.”

Peter releases a shaky breath in relief, despite the pain it causes him. His arms wrap around Tony as best they can. When they pull apart reluctantly, Peter swears he sees Tony's eyes watering.

"That wasn't a hug, I was just adjusting your pillows," Tony tries to say stoically, but his voice cracks.

At that moment, Aunt May comes back in with red rimmed eyes but a smile for Peter. The doctor follows close behind. A combination of happiness and guilt flows through him as he looks at his Aunt. Tony steps back with a sniffle as May joins Peter next to the bed, holding his hand more for her comfort than his. He knows this, and squeezes her hand lightly.

The doctor doesn’t say much other than what Tony told him. His advanced healing should help fix his injuries, but it will still take awhile until he’s fully back on his feet. Of course, the first thing Peter asks (well, technically the second thing since Peter really wanted more pain meds) was when he could go home.

“It will still be awhile until you’ll be back home,” The doctor says, “But Tony has offered to move to to his medical facility in a few days, and since I personally know Tony, I trust that his doctors can take care of you.”

Aunt May gasps, looking up at Tony, “You’d really do that for us?”

Tony shrugs, “Of course, you guys are family.”

The pain meds start to take effect, and Peter grows sleepy once again. The conversation in the background fades out.

 

“Sleep, Peter. You're safe now."


	2. sleepless nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's POV of the accident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for checking my story out and just a reminder that this is unbetaed

Happy impatiently taps on the steering wheel as he waits in traffic. Until now, traffic hadn’t been too awful, but suddenly he’s stuck behind an endless chain of unmoving vehicles. He curses angrily, knowing that he was going to be late for the meeting at Stark Tower. Tony would never let him hear the end of it if he there wasn’t a decent reason.

So Happy gets out of the car, slamming the door behind him. The traffic seems to be held up about a block and a half away. He huffs, trying to find another way to go around the disaster, but there doesn’t seem to be any other ways to go. The traffic all around one intersection is completely stopped.

Finally, he reaches the intersection. Numerous others have also abandoned their cars, and a large crowd is forming around something. Happy’s first thought was that someone got hit. He pulled out his phone to dial 911 just in case no one else did. That’s when he notices that the contorted body on the street looks a lot like the Spider-Kid.

“Shit, _shit,_ ” Happy wheezes, dialing Tony’s number.

Tony picks up, “Hey, Happy, I’ve noticed you’re not here yet--”

“Shut up for a second, Tony. We have a situation with the kid. I just--he got hit by a car, Tony. You need to get here now.”

On the other side of the phone, Tony pales as soon as he hears. Happy’s frantic tone must mean that it’s pretty bad. Tony imagines Peter’s body lying broken across the street. It nearly sends him into a panic attack, but he manages to keep the attack at bay because that stupid kid needs his help. Immediately, Tony asks for the street and climbs into one of his suits. He knew that he’d get there faster than any of those ambulances would.

By the time Tony arrives, he notices Happy attempting to get closer to Peter, but the obviously confused kid flinches away. A crowd has gathered around him like it’s a show. None of them really even try to help. Tony lands beside Peter, horrified at what he sees.

He’s never seen Peter look so fragile. The kid is awkwardly lying across the road, his whole body a large bruise. Tony can tell that his upper body got the worst damage. Blood speckles the gravel. Although Peter’s eyes are open, he looks completely out of it.

“Friday, vitals,” Tony orders, approaching Peter.

“Broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and serious bruising, especially along his lower back.”

Tony curses. “Is it safe to move him?”

“It appears so, as long as you keep his head and neck stable.”

Tony wastes no more time. He kneels down next to Peter whose eyes are barely open.

“Peter? Kid, can you hear me?” Tony calls gently. A second afterwards, though, Peter’s eyes slip shut. Tony’s eyes water behind his mask. Friday informs him Peter is merely unconscious, but Tony still checks his pulse to be sure. Then, he carefully lifts the boy into his arms. Although Tony wants to bring Peter to the Tower, he knows no doctors will currently be there, so instead he flies to a nearby hospital where he personally knows one of the doctor will keep the kid’s identity safe.

The immediately take him into surgery for his broken collarbone. The people in the hospital waiting room stare at him, but Tony doesn’t pay them any mind. He has someone to call.

“Tony? Why are you calling me?” May asks.

Tony breathes deeply before responding, “May, it’s Peter. A car hit him, and he’s at Queens Hospital.”

“Oh my--oh my god,” May gasps, “I don’t understand, he was just going to school. He wasn’t even doing his Spider-Man thing, and some monster hit him!”

“He’s going to be okay,” Tony reassures, “I’ll be here for him until you arrive.”

Around twenty five minutes later, May arrives at the hospital. She spots Tony and immediately goes to stand next to him. Tony watches as she anxiously paces and rambles. Even though Tony knows Peter and May aren’t related by blood, he can’t help but notice similarities between them.

“I just can’t believe--he was just walking to school,” May says. “He was just being a normal kid, which nowadays I always tell him to do. But even then he’s in danger.” She collapses in a chair beside Tony, obviously exhausted from stress. They sit in silence for a bit.

Coming to a sudden realization, May whispers to Tony, “We can’t protect him from the world, can we?”

Tony rubs a hand across his face, thinking about Peter. His recklessness, his stupidity, his selflessness, his brain, his bravery and his heart. Peter’s just a kid, a good kid, and Tony wishes he could protect him from all types of dangers. Finally, he responds,“No, we can’t. But we can try our best.”

It’s another hour at least before May is allowed to see Peter. Tony hesitates to follow her because, well, Peter’s not his kid. When May looks back and sees Tony just standing there, she sighs and tugs him toward the room. They just moved him from the ICU to a normal hospital room. The doctor that Tony knows is already in the room. With the kid’s strange DNA and healing abilities, he knows he can trust this guy.

“Oh, Peter,” May chokes on a sob. Tony looks at Peter and swallows hard. The usually energetic vigilante is covered in tubes and wires. Oxygen tubes loop around his ears and through his nose. His pale complexion only brings out the bruises littering his skin. One arm has a sling around it.

The doctor gives them the news, and it’s what Tony expected based on his AI’s own report. In comparison to normal patients, however, Peter is healing at a much more rapid rate. The doctor tells them that Peter will probably wake up completely in a day or so due to the large quantities of sedatives and morphine they had to give him.

May and Tony spend the rest of the afternoon and night in silence next to Peter, only leaving to eat. When it starts to get late, May suggests that Tony leave and get some sleep. Tony doesn’t dare protest, and he leaves the pair together for the night.

Right when Tony gets back into his lab, he has a panic attack. All of the emotions he bottled up inside him seem to burst out at the same time. The only thing Tony can think about is how he failed to protect the kid. Hell, he made Peter a high tech pair of pajamas just to protect him from villains, yet he can’t protect him from a stupid car running a red light. When Tony’s heartbeat finally starts to calm down and breaths even out, he collapses into a chair and pulls up everything he can about the accident. The man’s in the car who hit Peter is visible from one of the security cameras as he drives away, and Tony glares in disgust at him.

“Dammit, Friday, I’m gonna make sure that guy rots in jail,” Tony growls. He spends the rest of the night upgrading Peter’s suit.

* * *

 

Tony doesn’t go back to the hospital until that afternoon. He wakes up, too overwhelmed to possibly see Peter now. His hands shake, and his head throbs from the lack of sleep the night before. He gets something quick to eat and takes a shower. His hands still shake. He has to see that kid.

He gets to the hospital, and May is exactly where he last saw her. She holds Peter’s hand and looks at him, even as Tony walks inside and sits next to her.

“He looks so fragile like this,” May comments. Her eyes are red and her face is blotchy. Tony knows she had a hard night.

“Yeah,” He responds, not sure there’s much else to say; May, however, has much more to say. She turns toward him with fire in her eyes. For a second, Tony thinks she’s angry at him, and he doesn’t even blame her.

“You’re going to find that son of a bitch, right?” May asks.

Slightly surprised, Tony nods, “He won’t get away with this.”

By night time, May looks exhausted and has hardly eaten. Tony can’t convince her to go home to try and get a little sleep, so the next best thing is making her get a cup of coffee and some food. He promises to watch over Peter while she’s gone. As she leaves, Tony replaces her hand with his. Peter’s hand is dry and cold, but he’s here, and Tony feels at ease knowing that he’ll be okay. Despite his attempts, the lack of sleep from the previous night catches up with Tony and he falls asleep on the edge of Peter’s bed.

It’s dark, and something rubs against his hand. He frowns, ignoring it until it happens again. Tony finally opens his eyes and nearly jumps up when he seeks Peter blinking sluggishly at him.

“Peter--you’re awake,” Tony exclaims softly.  

           The kid tries to smile, but it’s crooked. “Hey, Mr’ Stark.”

Tony hears the slurs in his words and knows he probably won’t remember a lot of this. He sees Peter reaching for his oxygen cannula, most likely just confused. Tony grasps his hand once more, noticing the warmth slowly returning to it.

Seeing the kid’s frown, he explains, “Hey, buddy, don’t mess with that. They got you really doped up, didn’t they? Your fast metabolism burned through all the morphine, so they just loaded you up.”

            He giggles, “That’s why I feel so funny. 'M high.”

            “Yeah, kid, high as a kite. You’re not in any pain?” Tony looks him over for any signs of uncomfortableness since the kid likes to hide things, but he just looks loopy and tired. His words slur more on his next sentence.

            “No, Mr. Stark... ‘m not. Where's May?"

                Tony eases him back into the bed when he tries to find her. "She went to go get coffee, but you'll see her soon. Just stay put."

Peter’s eyes keep closing and opening again as he tries to fend off sleep. Tony sighs and tries to comfort him by rubbing his hand. Go back to sleep, kiddo. You’ll feel clearer in the morning.”

Finally, Peter obeys, and drifts off back to sleep. Tony runs a hand through Peter’s hair before going to inform May that her nephew woke up. When they return, Peter continues to sleep. They both stay all night, hardly getting any sleep themselves. Tony thinks maybe he slept an hour on accident, and May probably less than that. By morning, though, Peter finally wakes up.

He’s in pain, that’s obvious, but he still talks and asks what happened. Tony knows he’s still scared about the whole situation, and of course that little shit feels guilty. After a little bit of emotional talking and even a hug initiated by Tony himself (although he’d never admit it to anyone else), Peter falls back asleep with the new pain meds.

“Are you okay?” Tony asks May, referring to when she had to leave the hospital room.

She sniffles, “Yeah. It’s just overwhelming seeing him like this, in pain.”

“It is,” Tony agrees. “We should be able to move him soon, though, and then at least we’ll all be more comfortable.”

“Do you have more information on that man?”

“No, but I’m about to call Happy. I asked him to track him down. We’ll get him.”

May nods shakily.

Just then, Tony’s phone rings. It’s Happy. He answers, “Did you find him?”

“Yeah I--Tony, there’s something you should know. The kid isn’t listening, is he?” Happy sutters. Tony frowns, looking over at Peter’s sleeping form.

“No, he’s asleep, but I’ll step out just in case.” He shoots a glance at May before walking out of the room and shutting the door behind him. “Okay, go ahead.”

After the phone call, Tony has another panic attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was kinda overlapping last chapter and I tried to limit that as much as possible, but it was kind of needed. I think the rest of the chapters will be from Peter's perspective for the most part, but I wanted to portray what exactly happened while Peter was unconscious. Thanks so much for reading! I'd love a comment about what you thought :)


	3. overcast skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! I had to write 3 essays in one week so I was really swamped. I'll make it up to you guys by updating again this weekend! I hope you enjoy this chapter :) Unbetaed

It’s been a few days since Peter first woke up in the hospital. Aunt May is almost constantly with him, and although Peter feels selfish, he’s extremely glad she’s always there. Even being alone for a few minutes causes Peter to descend into his pains and anxieties. Although the pains have lessened throughout the last few days, his worries have only increased for many reasons, but especially because of Mr. Stark.

Peter saw him the first time he woke up, but he suddenly disappeared afterwards. May assured him that Mr. Stark was just really busy and had come to visit while Peter slept but couldn’t stay much longer. Even though Peter wants to believe that, he knows it is false. With such a lack of sleep, his Aunt May has become even easier to read. It’s obvious that she has no clue where Mr. Stark has been.

Whenever Peter wakes up, he searches for Mr. Stark. Although he feels a sense of disappointment, an overwhelming sense of guilt takes over. Peter can’t blame Mr. Stark for leaving, honestly. Not only is he a busy man, but Peter knows the amount of stress he’s put on Mr. Stark with his superheroing and now this stupid accident. Still, Peter can’t help but feel a hollowness in his chest as he sees an empty seat and Aunt May’s apologetic glance.

That morning is another disappointment. Peter sighs as frustration and sadness builds up in him; he drove Mr. Stark away. Although Peter has remained silent about his disappointment in front of Aunt May, she notices his drooping expressions falling further with each day. That morning, she finally says something.

“Hey,” She whispers to Peter, who smiles up at her and grasps her hand. “He’ll be back.”

Suddenly, all of Peter’s emotions come flying out all at once. “It’s my fault he’s not here. I ruined it! He’s not coming back.” His throat tightens with each word. Tears unintentionally whell up in his eyes as he tries to keep them at bay.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Aunt May soothes, “It’s not you, I promise! Why would you think that?”

Peter doesn’t respond as May gently brushes his bangs back from his forehead. He just lays still, reveling in the pain he feels as the medications wear off again. At least now he can feel something tangible instead of getting swept up in all of his emotions. It distracts him, levels him. At least when he’s in pain, he doesn’t focus so much on the bad emotions inside his head.

“Are you in pain, Peter?” May wonders as he flinches when she squeezes his hand too hard.

“No,” Peter lies, then continues, “I think I’m going to call Ned and MJ. Can you give me a few minutes alone to talk to them?”

“Of course, I’ll just be getting a drink. If you start to feel anymore pain, don’t hesitate to call a nurse, okay?”

“Okay.” May kisses his forehead and hands him his cellphone before quietly leaving the room.

Although Peter never intended to call his friends, using it as a ruse so May didn’t have to see him expel more emotions, he reconsiders. It’s early enough that Peter figures his friends won’t be in class yet. Not to mention, he misses his best friend, and he misses MJ teasing and mocking him. He remembers back to the accident where he thought he’d never get to see either one of them again. His heart feels heavy in his chest, emotions swelling back up again. Before he can bury himself too deep in a pit, he finds Ned’s contact and hits the call button.

“Peter!” Ned answers on the first ring. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, ‘s me,” Peter responds, wincing at how scratchy his voice sounds, but Ned doesn’t seem to mind.

“I’ve been so worried! We all have, really, the decathlon team, I mean. You should’ve seen Flash’s expression when he saw Iron Man rescue you on the news!”

Peter frowns, “Wait, what? Iron Man?”

“Yeah dude! Do you not remember? Tony Stark flew in an Iron Man suit and carried you to the hospital. It was epic--wait, I didn’t mean, the accident was awful, but--”

“Yeah, don’t worry, I get it. So what’s been going on at school?”

Peter half listens as Ned launches into everything he’s missed in the past couple of days. Mostly, Peter thinks about what Ned told him. Did Mr. Stark really do that? He decides to look it up on his phone, immediately finding more than a dozen news stories depicting Iron Man kneeling down by Peter’s limp form.

Ned brings him out of his thoughts. “I’m really sorry, but I’ve got to go. I hope you feel better soon.”

“Thanks, Ned. I miss you and MJ, and even Flash.” Peter responds, just glad to hear his friend’s voice again. “You’ll have to come visit sometime soon.”

“Yeah, totally! See you soon!”

They hang up, and once again Peter is left to his guilt hanging over him. When Aunt May returns a few minutes later, he pretends to be tired so he doesn’t have to face her. She stays by his bed and tries not to fall asleep, but the exhaustion from previous days takes over, and she soon lulls off. Meanwhile, Peter lies on his back and looks up at the patterns on the ceiling before he too goes back to sleep.

May is completely overwhelmed. Although she wanted to be there for Peter, she was glad he wanted privacy because the minute she leaves the room, she puts her face in her arms and shudders. Peter is injured and blaming himself for everything, and now Tony suddenly disappeared as if he was never there. She takes a deep breath before calling Tony for the third time in the last two days. It goes to voicemail again.

“I swear to god, Tony Stark, you need to pick up right now! I can’t—Peter is confused. He thinks you blame him. He’s not doing great right now, and you leaving doesn’t help anything! I’m not sure why you left, but you should know that Peter looks up to you, so you can’t just walk out of his life.”

May finishes her rant and is just about to hang up when the other line answers.

“Tony?” She asks hesitantly.

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m sorry, you’re right. I’ve been selfish, and I’ll be over there soon to talk with Peter. But first, you and I need to talk.”

“Is this why you left?”

There’s a brief pause and shuffling on the other end of the phone. Yeah, partially. Peter isn’t listening, right?”

“No, he’s talking to a friend. Tell me what’s going on, Tony.”

“It has to do with the person who crashed into Peter…”

* * *

 

The next time Peter wakes up, he feels warmer and lighter than before. He’s in hardly any pain. He almost doesn’t want to wake up and deal with everything, but his muscles are restless and he stretches carefully before opening his eyes. To his surprise, both May and Mr. Stark sit by his bed. They have a strange look in their eyes, but all Peter can focus on is that he came back for some reason.

“You’re here?” Peter asks. He tries not to sound relieved, but the crack in his voice betrays him. Mr. Stark glances at Aunt May, who stands up and leaves them to talk alone.

Mr. Stark smiles weakly at him. “Yeah, kid. I’m sorry I left.”

Peter blushes with embarrassment. “It’s okay, I understand.”

“No, Peter, this is my fault. I was an idiot. I got overwhelmed and I’m not really used to people, well, people caring about me so much.”

“I never blamed you for being gone, Mr. Stark. I mean, everyone leaves my life eventually. First my parents, then my uncle, I figured someone was bound to be next,” Peter shrugs while looking down at his hand which fidgets with the blanket beneath him. He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up. At this point, Peter notices the tears in his eyes have finally fell without him realizing. Now, he feels the tracks they’ve left down his face. Hesitantly, he meets Mr. Stark’s eyes.

“Peter,” Mr. Stark whispers, “You’re parents and uncle never wanted to leave you. They loved you. Aunt May loves you. Your friends love. And I, god damn it kid, you’re making me emotional.” This earns a wet chuckle from Peter.

He continues, “Even though I might be bad at showing my emotions, I care about you a lot. I don’t want you to leave my life.”

Peter smiles with glossy eyes. Mr. Stark pats his shoulder a few times before letting go.

“Also, get excited because you’re not going to be in this drab hospital for any longer. You’re coming back to the tower, today. I got medical all ready. It doesn’t even feel like medical anymore.”

“I thought you were selling the tower?” Peter remembers.

“No buyers. Plus, it’s a nice space, good location. Might as well keep it for a while longer. Now, May’s getting your paperwork filled out. Are you in any pain?”

Peter shakes. “No, Mr. Stark.” This time, it’s the truth.

Mr. Stark analyzes Peter for a second, most likely to see if he’s lying. “Good. And for god’s sake, kid, call me Tony.”

Everything is finally getting back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out the plot will start developing more! This story probably won't be super long, maybe 10 chapters, but there's plenty more to come that you won't want to miss! Also, I know this wasn't very long but as I said, I will update again this weekend.


	4. a sense of dread

The move to the tower is a lot more draining than Peter though it would be. After not walking at all for a few days, even moving to a wheelchair took a lot out of him. Although being partially lifted out of a wheelchair at the tower by Tony Stark is embarrassing to no end, nobody teases him. Although his room at the tower is a lot less hospital-like, monitors and wires are still set up at his bedside for at least another few days. One of Mr. Stark’s doctors is there who seems really nice to help take care of him.

“As a celebration of you being out of that awful hospital,” Mr. Stark begins, “I got you the best food known to man: greasy takeout.”

The smell makes Peter’s mouth water. He’d been stuck on hospital food for the past few days, so looking at fatty food makes him smile. Aunt May frowns at Mr. Stark from the side of Peter’s bed.

“Is he supposed to be having that?” Aunt May questions with raised eyebrows.

Mr. Stark is smart enough to look guilty for a second. “He’s a teenage boy with a high metabolism. He’ll be fine.”

As Peter eats, he watches May and Mr. Stark talk. They appear to be playfully bickering, but Peter knows something is off. He can see the control they both put into their facial expressions and feel the hesitation in their words. Peter wasn’t going to mention it at first; after all, he kept Spider-Man a secret from May for so long. Now, though, he’s noticing the toll it puts on the two of the people he looks up to and loves the most. He wonders if it’s his fault, as usual, and wants to fix it.

A cell phone rings. Mr. Stark’s face goes pale for a brief moment before he excuses himself from the room. May makes up a fleeting excuse to go and follow him. Once again, Peter is left in the dark. It has to be about him, or else why would they hide it? He must have done something wrong. For a few minutes, he sits in the dim room trying to pick up on their conversation, but the walls must be soundproofed somewhere. All he hears in a dull ringing in the back of his head.

Suddenly, he feels hot and itchy. He throws his blankets off, but the sudden movement causes a flare of pain to race through his body. He winces, and an involuntary whine squeaks out of his throat. The pain meds don’t even seem to be working all of the sudden. His heart rate spikes with the pain.

A few seconds later, May and Mr. Stark return. They must have been alerted by Friday. Both of them look overwhelmed.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” May asks worriedly as she hurries to his side, trying to help him.

With the extra pain comes extra frustration. “Stop, I’m fine.” He snaps through his teeth.

“It’s okay to need help-” Mr. Stark begins, but Peter cuts him off.

“I said I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

He pretends not to notice the glance that his Aunt and Mr. Stark share with each other. He turns in his bed and looks at the wall, hoping that they’ll leave him alone, but neither make a move to go. He feels his bed dip a little and assumes it’s May, but it’s actually not. A quick look reveals that his Aunt has actually left the room temporarily.

“We’re just trying to help, kid,” Mr. Stark says. “I know it’s frustrating being stuck in here and being confused, but I promise that you’ll be able to get up again and get back to normal soon.”

Peter feels the anger draining out of him as the weariness takes over. “I’m sorry, I just...I’m so frustrated. I feel so weak.”

“Is that what this is about?” Mr. Stark asks. Peter’s cheeks heat up, worried that Mr. Stark is going to start laughing; instead, he feels a hand gently grasp his arm.

“Peter, look at me,” He encourages. Slowly, Peter turns away from the wall, wringing his hands around the oxygen tube he’s still forced to wear. Mr. Stark pulls them away.

“You’re not weak,” Mr. Stark says, “You’re one of the strongest people I know. Hell, you’re stronger than me, that’s for sure. I don’t handle my problems very well at all. Ask Pepper. You may be a superhero, but we all go down for the count every once in a while. But we get back up, that’s what matters.”

“But that’s the problem,” Peter explains, “I didn’t get hurt as Spider-Man; I got hurt as Peter Parker. I’m supposed to be able to protect everyone, but I can’t even protect myself. I sensed the car coming, but I couldn’t even move out of the way in time. If I can’t do that, how can I be expected to push someone else out of the way next time?”

“Because you care. Damn it, Peter, you care about your friends and family and the people of New York. You’d sacrifice yourself for any of them despite me telling you not to do that. You were the one in front of that car, but if anyone else was there, too, I know for a fact that you would’ve pushed them out of the way in time because you just care about others too much.”

A tear escapes Mr. Stark’s eye, and Peter moves in for a hug. He knows that they both need it right now. It feels nice to be held and comforted. The pain seems to dull down to a bearable level. Peter finally feels the bond he’s always wanted to share with his mentor. Deeper than just a guy who made his suit, but an actual mentor.

“I’m sorry,” Peter mumbles against Tony’s suit jacket.

“Don’t apologize, kid,” Tony responds. “Now how about you, me, and your Aunt all watch a movie. Your choice.”

Peter pulls away part way so he can look at Mr. Stark. A slight smile returns on his face. “Star Wars?”

Tony chuckles, “You’re really addicted to those movies, aren’t you? Whatever you want kid. I’ll go get your Aunt.”

As the three of them watch, Peter feels more at ease than before. While the movie continues, however, he gets an odd feeling. It’s like his spidey sense, a tingling throughout his body, but somehow it’s different. It seems less urgent. It feels like a warning for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long! I really have no excuses. I just wasn't feeling very inspired. I hope you enjoy this chapter even though it's shorter. The next few chapters will really be getting into the action, and the secret about the accident will be revealed very soon so stay tuned! :)


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